Skirt-supporter.



c, J. SHIPPEN. SKIRT SUPPORTER- APPLIQATIOK FILED OUT. 11, 1909.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

2 BHEET8SKEBT 1. f

GARMENT I5 HELD- L P N m ,4 NS '1 l J w B I W Cv n4: "cams PETERS cm, wAsnmonm, u. c

G. J. SHIPPEN. SKIRT SUPPORTER.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 11, 1909.

986,769. v Patented Mar. 14,1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE ucrams PETERS C0,, wnsumcrqlv, D- c.

A Y v V6 lease the garment when desired.

CLARA J. SHIPPEN, OF BUFFALO, WYOMING.

SKIRT-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

Application filed October 11, 1909. Serial No. 521,992.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARA J. SI-IIPPEN, residing at Buffalo, in the county of J ohnson and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and Improved Skirt-Supporter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an improved device adapted for being readily attached to skirts, or other garments, of a simple and inexpensive character and which can be quickly manipulated to hold or lift the skirt or other hanging garment from dragging and becoming soiled, and is more especially designed for use on womens skirts for relieving the user from holding up the skirt by hand.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention comprehends a body member, preferably of a light, but-stiff material such sheet metal, having means whereby it can be easily secured to the garment by stitching or safety pin or to the belt or waist band, and a spring held clamp that cooperates with the plate for gripping the garment together with a member of such character that can be easily grasped by the hand for moving the spring held clamp to release the garment.

In its more complete nature, my invention embodies a body plate having meansfor hooking onto the waist band or garment, a clamp plate hingedly mounted on the body plate and spring oressed thereagainst, and a flexible member connected to the body and thespring pressed member for being readily grasped for lifting the clamp plate to re- In its more subordinate features, my in vention consists in certain details of con struction, and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a view that illustrates one of the ways in which my invention is applied for use. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the simplest and preferred form of my invention. Fig. 3, is a similar view, which illustrates the manner in which the clamping member is swung backto release the garment. Fig. 4, is a rear perspective view of my invention that illustrates the manner in which the device is gripped to release the skirt. Fig. 5, is a detail view showing the thumb guard or ring member that is flexibly attached to the back of the main or body member of the device. Fig. 6, is a longitudinal section of my invention on the line 66 on Fig. 2.

In the practical application of my invention and in its simplest and cheapest form it consists of a body plate 1, which may have any suitable ornamental flat shape, partly corrugated, and made out of stiff metal finished up to present a neat appearance, the device, in practice being made in colors to suit the garment for which it may be used. The body member 1 may be corrugated or punctured to present a gripping surface, but in the simple form and when it is to be used for silk or other thin and fine fabrics it is preferably only corrugated as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Coiiperating with the plate 1 is another plate 2 also corrugated when used with a partly corrugated body plate, and of a width sufficient to extend entirely across plate 1. Plate 2 is secured to the lower end of a wire bail 3, the upper ends of which terminate in eyes 30, for a pivot rod 4, the ends of which are journal'ed in small brackets or cars 5 5 secured to and projected from plate 1, as best shown in Fig. 2, by reference to which it will be seen a coiled spring 6 is mounted on the rod 4, one end of which is soldered or otherwise made fast to the body plate 1 and the other end looped on and secured to one arm of the bail 3.

Member 1 has an extension 10 at the upper end that is bent back upon itself to form a hook 11 for hooking onto the belt or waist band, as shown in Fig. 1 or into an eye piece secured to the upper or waist end of the garment, as shown in Fig. 4.

8 designates a lifting means in the nature of a chain, one end of which is fastened to the cross member of the bail 3 and the other to the front upper part of member 1. In practice, said chain is sufficiently long to permit of its being easily located and grasped with the fingers when reaching down to release and drop the skirt, and for conveniently holding the main or body portion of the device back against the body of the wearer a ring or loop 32 is secured to the rear side of plate 1 by a flexible joint 84, as best shown in Fig. 5.

It is manifest that it is the work of but a moment to open the clamp 2 since to do this the user needs only to slip the thumb of the left hand when the supporter is on left as in Fig. 1, through the ring 34 and push one or more of the fingers under the chain loop 8, see Fig. 3,'and as the user presses inwardly with the thumb to hold plate 1 steady and against the body, a slight pressure of'the fingers in the outward direction, [see arrow on Fig. 8, spreads 01' opens the clamp from the main body 1, see Fig. 4 and thus allows for quickly slipping the lifted skirt portion between the clamps and which, when released, clamps upon and holds the skirt up out of the dirt and with both hands free, as clearly understood from Fig. 1. Y

Fromthe foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

I 1. A skirt supporter, that consists of a body member having means at the upper end for connecting with a garment, and a transversely disposed gripping surface at the lower end, a spring closed clamp hingedly mounted on the body member and having a gripping surface to cooperate with the like surface on the body, and a flexible connection for opening the clamp that joins at one end with the upper end of the body on the same side as the clamp and at the lower end with the lower end of the spring closed clamping member.

2. A skirt supporter, comprising a body member having a gripping surface, and means whereby it is detachably supported on a garment, a spring closed clamp mounted on the body to cooperate with the gripping surface thereof, and means for spreading the two members comprising a thumb receiver'on the back of the main or body member, and a flexible loop connected at one end to the front of the body member and at the other end to the clamping member.

CLARA J. SHIPPEN.

Witnesses:

BURT Gniccs, W. A. DOHERTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

